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The Turkish Left
Kemal H. Karpat
I69
CONTEMPORARY HISTORY
171
CONTEMPORARY HISTORY
172
THE TURKISH LEFT
The agitated years of the War of Liberation (I919-23) saw the rise
of a series of leftist groups. Of these only the young spartacist-
marxists, trained in Germany, notably Sefik Husnu (Degmer)
played a part in later movements.The Islamic-mindedsocialists
tookno partin the electionsof 1923,while the secularist,moderate
leftistswere absorbedinto the rulingRepublicanParty.After I925
the Law on Public Orderwas used to liquidateall extremistmove-
ments.
The official acceptanceof economic statism in I931, and the
renewalof the treatyof friendshipwith the US SR, enabledsocial
questions to be discussed more freely. It was obvious that the
socialtransformationsunderway needed an explanationand justi-
fication,not only to placatethe intellectualsbut also to influence
their thinking. The review Kadro (I932-4) presented an amalgam of
radical concepts, left and right, aiming at creating a national
ideology,and possiblypreventingthe expansionof the radicalleft.
But marxistpolitical literature5,apartfrom a few translations,re-
5 See Kerim Sadi (Nevzat Gurken) Felsefenin Sefaleti (Istanbul, I934); Bir
Sakirdin Hatalari (Istanbul, I934); and several other works appearing in the
Insaniyet (Humanity) collection. See also the review Projector. On the Kadro see
Turkiye'deKapitalism (Tarihsel Maddecilik Yayinlari), vol. i (Istanbul, 1965),
p. I54 ff.
I74
THE TURKISH LEFT
I75
CONTEMPORARYHISTORY
I76
THE TURKISH LEFT
I77 I2
CONTEMPORARYHISTORY
socialmobilityand helpedto spreadsocialawareness.The political
consciousnessof the massesdevelopedsteadilyas they found their
place in the variousoccupations.The dominantmotivein all these
activities was economic; among the working classes it naturally
expresseditself in a desire for materialadvancementand welfare.
This processof growthfrom below, initiatedby the government
with immediatepracticalmotivesof its own,fundamentallychanged
the country'ssocialorganizationand the powerrelationswithin it.
The bureaucracy,already affected by inflation, surrenderedits
political and social power to a new economic elite drawn from
landed and business groups and their associates.Moreover, the
intelligentsia,in the past stronglyrepresentedin the bureaucracy,
saw the rise fromits own ranksof professionalgroupseitherassoci-
ated with the entrepreneursas engineersand technicians,or find-
ing lucrativeemploymentin the serviceof privatecommercialand
business enterprises.Earliersocial values, based on educationand
dedication to state ideals, were underminedby an order based
essentiallyon economic power. Socially and psychologicallythis
was a far-reachingrevolution.Materiallyand morally,it affected
everysectionof the traditionalrulinggroups;the civil bureaucracy,
the military, and all their affiliates.This social change occurred
without benefitof intellectualjustificationor systematization.The
automaticcondemnationof all critical social ideas in the past as
being conduciveto socialismand communismgreatlyhinderedthe
developmentof an adequateschool of social thinking.
The intellectuals'reactionto these changesoncemoremanifested
itself in literature.The vast output of stories and novels with
'socialcontent'after I950, best reflectsthe trendsof thoughtwhich
eventuallybecamethe foundationof a new leftism.Writerssuch as
MahmutMakal,YasarKemal, OrhanKemal, Aziz Nesin, Kemal
Tahir, FakirBaykurt,KemalBilbasar,AtillaIlhan,Necati Cumali,
to mention only a few, came mainly from the villages and the
lower ranksof the urbanintelligentsia.12They broughtto public
attentionthe unknowndimensionsof Turkey'sacute social prob-
lems, the widespreadpoverty,distress,andinjustice.Graduallythis
type of writingfound its way into the daily press. Correspondents
roamedthe far reachesof Anatoliaand corroboratedthe writers
I82
THE TURKISH LEFT
The socialideas developedin I954-60 and duringthe revolution
were eventuallyincorporatedin the Constitutionof 1961. Defining
Turkey as a national,secular,and social state, it recognizedexten-
sive individualrights and freedoms,and spelled out a broadsocial
programmeto be carriedout by the state.21Thus, while providing
a legal basisfor socialreforms,it also ensuredsafetyfor individuals
to engage in politicalactivity in order to achievethese goals. The
RepublicanParty and some socialistsdominatedthe Constitutent
Assemblywhich draftedthe Constitution.It was assumedthat this
partywould come to powerin the forthcomingelectionsand carry
out a social programmethrough state planning, but there was
amongthe populationat largea deep aversionto any schemelikely
to restorethe power of the intelligentsiaand bureaucracy.Entre-
preneurs, businessmen, and landlords, aware that the proposed
planning was aimed chiefly at their economic power, used their
professionalorganizationsandpublicationsto fightthe swingto the
left. When the ban on politicalactivitieswas lifted, the Justiceand
New Turkey parties establishedin I96I came to representtheir
interests.
The elections of 15 October I96I gave the Republicansthe
largest number of seats in the National Assembly, but not an
absolutemajority,22while the Senatewas underthe controlof the
JusticeParty.With the military'ssupport,the Republicansnever-
theless formed a Cabinet under Ismet Inonu's Premiershipin
coalitionwith their chief opponent,the JusticeParty.The coalition
lasted aboutsix months, breakingup chieflybecauseof sharpcon-
flict over economic policy (state versus free enterprise),although
outwardlyit appearedas disagreementon the amnesty of jailed
Democrats.23The subsequent government, formed in coalition
with the minorpartiesin June I962, againunder Inonu'sPremier-
ship, was formed only after the Republicansreluctantlyagreedto
compromiseon their socialprogrammeandto acceptprivateenter-
prise as an equal. The chairmanof the New Turkey Party, an
ardentdefenderof privateenterprise,was madeDeputy Premierin
chargeof economicaffairs,includingthe StatePlanningOrganiza-
tion. These developmentsopeneda new andimportantphasein the
21 Constitution
of the Turkish Republic, Ankara I96I, also MIiddleEast Journal,
Winter I962.
22 The percentage of seats was as follows: New
PRP, 36.7; Justice, 34-8;
Turkey, 13-7; and National, 14 per cent.
23 See Inonu's letter of resignation, Yeni Sabah, I June I962.
183
CONTEMPORARY HISTORY
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THE TURKISH LEFT
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CONTEMPORARYHISTORY
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